# Apple's new iPad mini gets an OLED screen and starts at $949 in Canada

> The 8.5-inch iPad mini adds OLED, an A20 Pro chip and water resistance. Pre-orders open Wednesday, it ships Nov. 6, and the full chip is only in the 512GB model.

- Published: 2026-10-26T13:56:00.000Z
- By: The Circuit Staff
- Type: News
- Topics: Devices
- URL: https://thecircuit.ca/posts/2026-10-26-ipad-mini-oled-canada/

Apple [announced a new iPad mini](https://www.apple.com/ca/newsroom/2026/10/apple-gives-ipad-mini-its-biggest-update-ever/) this morning by press release. It has an 8.5-inch OLED display, an A20 Pro chip and an IP67 rating for water and dust. Apple's Mac event follows on Wednesday.

## Canadian prices

From the [Canadian Apple Store](https://www.apple.com/ca/shop/buy-ipad/ipad-mini):

| Storage | Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi + Cellular |
|---|---|---|
| 128GB | $949 | $1,149 |
| 256GB | $1,099 | $1,299 |
| 512GB | $1,379 | $1,579 |

The anti-glare nano-texture glass adds $150 and is offered only on the 256GB and 512GB models. Education pricing starts at $879. The Apple Pencil Pro is $169, and the new Smart Folio is $99.

Pre-orders open Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 10:10 a.m. PT (1:10 p.m. ET), and it arrives in stores Nov. 6.

## What's new

- Bezels are 24% thinner, so the screen grows while the footprint stays the same. Apple says it reaches 1,200 nits peak brightness, more than twice the previous model.
- It's 5.4 mm thin, comes in midnight or starlight, and has a new speaker design that uses the display itself.
- The front camera moves to the landscape edge, where it's better placed for video calls.
- Cellular models get Apple's C2 modem and eSIM.

## The catch

Only the 512GB model gets the full A20 Pro. The 128GB and 256GB versions have five CPU cores instead of six and a single Neural Engine instead of two, [9to5Mac points out](https://9to5mac.com/2026/10/26/new-ipad-mini-has-big-limitation-on-all-but-one-model/) from Apple's spec sheet. And Apple's specs don't mention ProMotion, so the smoother 120Hz scrolling of the iPad Pro doesn't appear to be included, [MacRumors notes](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/10/26/new-ipad-mini-still-no-promotion/).

**Why it matters:** At $949 to start, this is a pricey small tablet, and the best chip costs $1,379. If you mostly read, stream and take notes, the 128GB Wi-Fi model is the one to look at. If you want the nano-texture screen or the full chip, the price climbs fast.